As is the case with many other brands, the P&G group has also embarked on a TikTok challenge, although their focus is the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from beauty, feminine products, haircare and skincare, P&G also covers healthcare. Institutions like WHO have taken their efforts to Instagram, so it does seem like this TikTok initiative will help to close the social media loop.

The #DistanceDance hashtag currently has 9.5B views in total, and P&G has promised that for the first 3 million videos, donations will be made to Feeding America and Matthew 25 — humanitarian aid and hunger relief organizations who are helping the fight against COVID-19.

TikTok Celebrity Collaboration – Charli D’Amelio

P&G has collaborated with one, but arguably the most powerful influencer on TikTok — Charli D’Amelio (@charlidamelio). She is currently the most followed influencer on TikTok, and currently has 46.5M followers in total.

Let’s take a look at some of her key demographic information, which will shed light on why this is such a powerful collaboration.

First off, she has a very high Engagement Rate of 17.94%, which is remarkable for an influencer with 46.5M followers. The other metrics in the image also reflect how many times her videos are viewed on average, which gives us an idea of the reach that she is capable of.

89% of her audience is under 18, so this campaign which highlights social distancing will fare very well amongst other Gen Zs.

What Does This Mean For P&G, And Social Distancing?

1 – P&G Manages to Connect with a Gen Z Audience

As we established in the case study featuring the partnership between the World Health Organisation and CGI influencer Knox Frost, brands do require the help of popular Gen Z influencers to bridge an existing gap between them and young social media users. Let’s face it: without a likeable macro influencer like Charli D’Amelio endorsing the message about social distancing, a lot of young TikTok users might take it lightly.

P&G has chosen a respected and “cool” spokesperson to spread their message in a way that most will listen — through a dance challenge.

2 – P&G is Able to Make a Serious Issue Relatable

While the Gen Z demographic is very hyper aware of the things happening in this world + acting responsibly in accordance, an issue like COVID-19 does seem rather serious for a platform like TikTok. In fact, most people turn to TikTok for entertainment and respite from negativity and the onslaught of bad news. This collaboration, however, manages to straddle the fine line between making light of an issue and making it light enough to understand.

The #DistanceDance challenge doesn’t trivialise social distancing; rather, it has helped the significance of social distancing to trend.

Social Media and COVID-19

So far, we have seen how important social media has been during a period when we have limited contact with one another. From Instagram to TikTok, institutions and bodies of authority are beginning to see the value in working with powerful influencers to spread important information.

There’s lots more where this came from! Subscribe to the Popular Chips Newsletter for all the Tips, Tricks, Do’s & Don’t’s about Influencer marketing. If you are a brand, get in touch with us at info@popularchips.com to gain access to Popular Chips AI-Driven Influencer Marketing Platform and test the new TikTok function.